UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  agricultural  experiment  Station 

College  of  agriculture  e.  w.  hilgard,  director 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


CIRCULAR  No.  13. 

(March,  1905.) 


THE  CULTURE  OF  THE  SUGAR  BEET, 


By  G.  W.  SHAW. 


Note — This  circular  is  issued  to  meet  a  demand  for  somewhat  detailed  informa- 
tion upon  the  principles  of  sugar-beet  culture,  as  practiced  in  the  most  successful 
beet-growing  sections.  When  the  principles  here  presented  are  intelligently  applied 
they  can  be  relied  upon  to  yield  profitable  results,  provided  always  that  the  locality 
is  suitable  for  beet  culture. 

The  farmer  who  begins  the  growing  of  sugar  beets  for  sugar  pur- 
poses finds  himself  face  to  face  with  a  crop  demanding  treatment  much 
different  from  that  of  any  he  has  been  accustomed  to  grow.  He  must 
grow  beets  within  certain  limits  of  size,  purity  of  juice,  and  of  satis- 
factory sugar-content.  He  has  to  deal  with  a  crop  in  which  quality  is 
much  more  of  a  factor  than  with  most  other  crops. 

The  growing  of  sugar  beets  is  not  agriculture,  but  horticulture,  and 
for  this  reason  alone  demands  much  more  attention  to  detail,  and 
more  intensive  culture,  than  any  agricultural  crop. 

The  sugar  beet  is  a  delicate,  high-bred  plant,  and  will  resent  very 
decidedly  any  neglect  by  immediately  showing  a  reduction  in  tonnage, 
sugar-content,  and  purity.  Hence  the  extreme  importance  of  giving 
the  most  careful  attention  to  details  in  growing  this  crop,  details  which 
with  any  other  crop  than  an  horticultural  one  would  be  considered  of 
small  consequence.  While  the  industry  is  one  requiring  new  and  more 
intensive  methods  of  treatment  than  most  farmers  are  intimately 
acquainted  with,  yet  by  careful  attention,  and  under  proper  natural 
conditions,  the  profits  secured  are  large. 

It  can  not  be  expected  that  every  locality  and  seasonal  condition  can 
be  foreseen  in  a  publication  of  this  character.  There  are  many  special 
cases  for  which  the  native  good  sense  of  the  farmer  must  provide. 
Such  modifications  of  the  principles  laid  down  here  can  only  be  decided 
upon  as  they  arise,  and  as  the  conditions  become  intimately  known. 

This  pamphlet  is  intended  to  present  to  those  interested  the  prin- 
ciples which  experience  and  scientific  investigation  have  shown  to  give 


the  highest  returns  both  in  quality  and  in  quantity  of  product,  the  two 
factors  which  make  for  profit  both  to  the  grower  and  the  manufacturer. 

It  is  generally  considered  that  the  highest  return  of  sugar  per  acre 
is  given  where  the  mean  summer  temperature  is  not  far  from  70°,  and 
where  the  rainfall  is  from  2  to  4  inches  per  month  during  the  growing 
period,  and  where  heavy  rains  do  not  occur  during  the  ripening  period, 
the  occurrence  of  such  rains  at  the  time  indicated  tending  to  lower  the 
sugar-content  of  the  root. 

While  these  conditions  have  generally  been  held  as  the  most  ideal, 
yet  the  success  in  America  under  conditions  which  vary  considerably 
from,  those  above  indicated,  especially  as  to  rainfall,  seem  to  show 
that  they  must  not  be  regarded  as  being  absolute,  and  that  the  beet 
has  a  somewhat  wider  range  of  adaptability  to  climatic  conditions 
than  has  been  claimed  by  European  authorities;  and  that  within  cer- 
tain limits,  our  ideas  should  be  formed  from  the  conditions  under 
which  the  industry  has  met  with  success  in  this  country. 

Certain  it  is  that  drought  must  be  avoided,  and  where  frequent 
summer  rains  do  not  occur,  nor  heavy  fogs  and  dews,  the  soil  must  be 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  retain  free  moisture  in  liberal  quantity;  or,  the 
moisture  must  be  supplied  by  irrigation,  both  of  which  conditions 
hold  on  certain  parts  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  the  latter  in  Colorado, 
Utah,  and  California. 

Abundance  of  sunshine  is  also  essential  to  the  highest  development 
of  sugar  in  the  beet.  Other  things  being  equal,  it  may  be  said  that 
the  richness  of  the  beet  will  be  proportional  to  the  amount— not 
intensity — of  the  sunshine. 

ADAPTABILITY    OF    VARIETIES. 

The  three  leading  types  of  sugar  beet  are  the  Klein  Wanzleben,  the 
Vilmorin,  and  the  Brabant.  Where  the  industry  is  new,  it  is  probably 
best  to  select  the  Klein  Wanzleben  type,  since  it  adapts  itself  to  vary- 
ing conditions  the  most  easily;  but  as  the  industry  develops  it  is  well 
to  adapt  the  different  types  to  their  proper  character  of  soil,  for  it  is 
undoubtedly  true  that  certain  varieties  will  do  better  on  certain  soils, 
and  it  only  remains  to  ascertain  what  the  adaptation  is  for  the  partic- 
ular region. 

Cenerally  considered,  the  Vilmorin  type  is  considered  best  adapted 
to  the  lighter  soils,  and  the  Klein  Wanzleben  to  the  heavier  soils,  yet 
this  has  not  always  proven  true  in  this  country.  The  French  Very 
Rich  beet  is  well  adapted  to  most  conditions  and  particularly  to  soils 
carrying  considerable  alkali,  on  account  of  the  fact  that  the  leaves  are 
not  so  easily  destroyed  by  contact  with  accumulations  of  the  salt  upon 
the  ground,  thus  causing  the  beet  to  suffer  from  the  destruction  of  the 
leaf  surface  in  which  the  sugar  is  developed. 


—  3  — 

SEED. 

The  quality  of  the  seed  from  which  the  beets  are  grown  is  of  the 
highest  importance,  and  is  the  first  consideration  in  the  production  of 
the  high-grade  product.  With  this  crop,  it  should  be  remembered 
above  all,  that  quality  as  well  as  quantity  must  be  considered,  and 
especially  is  this  the  case  when  the  product  is  sold  upon  the  sliding 
scale,  the  price  depending  upon  the  quality  of  the  root,  as  is  the  custom 
in  many  places. 

Importance  of  Good  Seed. — Sugar  is  made,  not  in  the  factory,  but 
in  the  field,  therefore  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  proper 
foundation  of  a  rich  beet  be  laid.  This  lies  in  the  seed.  Beet  seed 
grown  for  sugar  purposes  is  not  produced  in  the  same  haphazard 
manner  as  most  of  the  ordinary  garden  seeds,  but  to  maintain  its  stand- 
ard of  richness  must  be  produced  under  the  most  rigid  scientific  con- 
ditions. The  sugar-content  and  purity,  as  well  as  the  germinating 
power  of  the  seed,  are  maintained  by  constant  testing  and  selection  of 
the  richest  and  most  vigorous  beets  as  mothers  along  the  most  rigid 
scientific  lines,  which  is  a  matter  of  vast  importance  to  the  industry. 

America  depends  almost  entirely,  at  present,  upon  Europe  for  her 
supply  of  sugar-beet  seed,  producing  less  than  100  tons  of  the  2,500 
.used,  notwithstanding  that  with  no  other  crop  is  the  success  of  the 
industry  so  dependent  upon  the  quality  of  the  seed.  The  industry  is 
too  new  in  this  country  to  have  developed  a  well-established  seed. 
With  the  accumulated  knowledge  and  experience  of  a  century  of  inves- 
tigation along  the  line  of  beet-seed  production,  with  the  investment  of 
an  enormous  capital,  and  with  a  vast  amount  of  science  and  skill,  energy 
and  labor,  the  European  methods  of  producing  a  pure  high-grade 
sugar-beet  seed  are  as  perfect  and  successful  as  are  those  employed 
in  producing  pure  breeds  of  horses  and  cattle.  The  great  care  and 
expense  necessary  for  the  production  of  high-grade  seed  is  the  reason 
of  its  relatively  high  price  as  compared  with  other  seed. 

For  their  own  protection  it  is  the  practice  of  sugar  companies  to 
supply  the  farmer  with  high-grade  seed  which  has  been  purchased  on 
a  guarantee.  It  is  evident  that  the  profitable  operation  of  a  factory 
may  depend  upon  a  difference  of  one  per  cent  in  the  sugar-content  of 
the  beet.  A  few  figures  will  easily  show  the  extreme  importance  of 
this  matter.  Let  us  suppose  a  factory  to  secure  a  harvest  of  but  25,000 
tons  of  beets.  A  difference  of  but  one  per  cent  in  sugar-content 
would  mean  a  loss  or  gain,  as  the  case  may  be,  of  about  500,000 
pounds  of  crude  sugar,  of  which  probably  eighty  per  cent  could  be 
obtained  in  practice,  or  400,000  pounds,  which,  at  4  cents  per  pound, 
means  $16,000  as  either  gain  or  loss,  even  on  this  low  tonnage.     On 


_  4  — 

the  farmers'  side  there  would  be  a  corresponding  difference,  if  paid  on 
the  sliding  scale. 

Attention  is  called  to  this  matter  at  this  time  since  there  is  often  a 
tendency  among  growers,  to  buy  low-grade  seed  because  it  can  be 
secured  a  few  cents  cheaper  than  the  more  reliable  guaranteed  seed, 
which  is  furnished  by  the  companies  for  the  sake  of  their  own,  as  well 
as  the  farmers',  protection. 

SOILS  FOR  SUGAR  BEETS. 

The  sugar  beet  does  not  require  a  particular  kind  of  soil,  but  is  most 
grateful  for  a  deep,  fertile,  medium  sandy  loam  with  a  warm  subsoil. 
Above  all,  the  farmer  should  never  select  poor  land  for  sugar  beets, 
but  always  the  very  best  land  available  on  the  farm.  New  land  seldom 
produces  a  high  tonnage  of  beets,  and  should  be  avoided  if  possible. 
Land  should  have  been  at  least  two  years  under  cultivation,  and  if 
it  has  had  green-manure  crops  turned  under,  so  much  the  better, 
especially  on  heavy  soils.  In  general  it  may  be  said  that  any  good 
land  which  will  produce  a  good  crop  of  corn,  wheat,  or  potatoes  will, 
under  proper  cultivation,  yield  a  good  crop  of  beets. 

There  are  certain  classes  of  soils  that  should  always  be  avoided  with 
a  beet  crop,  as  follows: 

(1)  Very  hard  clay,  or  "adobe,"  which  is  difficult  and  expensive  to 
work,  either  with  cultivator  or  hoe,  and  is  likely  to  be  "cold,"  a  con- 
dition not  favorable  to  any  crop  and  particularly  undesirable  for  a 
beet  crop. 

(2)  Stony  soil,  which  is  not  only  difficult  to  work,  but  will  not  allow 
such  an  even  development  of  the  beets  as  to  form  as  is  necessary  for 
the  highest  quality  of  root.  Such  soil,  moreover,  is  incapable  of  hold- 
ing water,  which  is  necessary  to  produce  a  good  crop. 

(3)  Gravelly  soils,  which  are  still  less  able  to  hold  moisture,  and  for 
that  reason  are  unfit  for  beet  culture. 

(4)  Soils  so  sandy  that  they  are  blown,  for  the  first  strong  wind 
invariably  destroys  either  the  young  plants,  or  the  foliage  of  the  older 
ones. 

(5)  Muck  soils,  which  produce  a  watery  beet  of  low  quality. 

(6)  Soils  strongly  impregnated  with  alkali  in  the  "black"  form 
(carbonate  of  soda)  or  as  common  salt;  sodium  sulfate  is  not  so  fatal 
to  the  crop  as  either  of  the  above. 

The  condition  of  the  subsoil  has  much  more  to  do  with  successful 
beet  production  than  is  generally  recognized.  For  instance,  a  sandy 
soil  underlaid  with  gravel  or  sand  will  be  quite  unfit  for  successful 
beet  culture,  but  if  the  same  soil  was  underlaid  by  a  calcareous  clay, 
not  too  close  to  the  top,  it  may  be  very  well  adapted. 


—  5  — 

Again,  it  must  be  especially  remembered  that  hard,  impenetrable 
subsoils  within  two  feet  of  the  surface  of  the  ground  are  not  at  all 
desirable;  for  the  sugar  beet  must  embed  itself  completely  in  the  soil, 
and  the  taproot  go  well  down  into  the  subsoil  which  serves  as  the  feed- 
ing ground  for  the  root. 

For  the  best  immediate  returns  a  soil  of  medium  lightness,  friable, 
permitting  of  ease  of  cultivation  and  penetration,  should  be  selected. 
There  has  often  been  a  tendency  toward  light  sandy  soils  for  this  crop, 
but  it  is  safer  to  lean  toward  the  clay  loam  than  toward  the  sand  if  the 
highest  tonnage  is  desired. 

In  the  selection  of  land  for  a  beet  crop,  attention  should  also  be  given 
to  the  previous  crop.  For  instance,  it  is  not  wise  to  select  land  upon 
which  a  crop  of  old  alfalfa  has  been  turned  under  the  previous  fall, 
for  it  will  cause  endless  difficulty  and  expense  by  its  persistent  growth 
in  the  beet  fields.  Again,  land  that  has  been  planted  to  corn  the  year 
previous  is  difficult  to  cultivate  when  planted  to  beets,  unless  all  of 
the  stubble  has  been  carefuly  removed  from  the  field.  If  left  on  the 
field  it  is  sure  to  cause  the  loss  of  a  large  number  of  plants  by  clogging 
the  wheels  of  the  seeder,  and  later  by  tearing  out  plants  during 
cultivation. 

Condition  of  Soil  to  be  Obtained.— The  sugar  beet  needs  a  deeply 
loosened,  well-mellowed  soil,  uniformly  mixed,  and  offering  the  plant 
easily  available  plant-food.  It  should  be  in  such  a  condition  that  the 
air  may  readily  penetrate  it  and  exert  its  ameliorating  effect.  The 
soil  must  be  made  free  from  weeds,  and  put  into  the  proper  condition 
to  retain  moisture,  as  well  as  to  dispose  of  a  too  large  amount  of  the 
latter  into  the  subsoil;  and  last  but  not  least,  must  possess  a  surface 
suitable  for  embedding,  germinating,  and  growing  the  seed. 

To  meet  all  these  conditions  different  operations  will  have  to  be 
resorted  to,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  climatic  con- 
ditions ;  but  everywhere  there  are  certain  well-defined  operations  which 
must  absolutely  be  attended  to  if  a  profitable  crop  is  to  be  obtained. 

FALL    WORK. 

Deep  preparation  of  the  soil  is  a  "sine  qua  non"  of  successful  sugar- 
beet  culture,  nothing  having  been  more  conclusively  shown  than  that 
sugar-beet  culture  and  shallow  soil  preparation  can  never  be  profitably 
practiced  for  any  length  of  time.  A  quick  penetration  of  the  root  into 
the  subsoil  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  a  proper  and  healthy  devel- 
opment of  the  plant,  and  to  secure  this  the  most  effectively,  deep  plow- 
ing should  be  done  in  the  fall  so  that  the  new  layer  of  soil  may  be 
brought  to  the  surface  the  better  to  be  acted  upon  by  the  atmospheric 
agencies,  thus  rendering  the  plant-food  more  available.     Further,  such 


plowing  also  brings  about  the  most  favorable  conditions  for  collecting 
and  storing  the  winter  moisture  for  the  use  of  the  plant  in  the  early 
summer. 

Not  only  should  the  plowing  be  done  in  the  fall,  but  it  should  be 


Fig.  1.    Root  System  of  Sugar  Beet,  showing  necessity  of  deep 
preparation  of  soil. 


deep  plowing— say  to  a  depth  of  ten  inches  at  least;  and  should  there 
be  the  slightest  tendency  toward  a  hard  subsoil,  it  should  be  subsoiled 
to  a  further  depth  of  six  inches. 

Should  the  land  in  the  humid  region  not  have  been  previously  sub- 
jected to  deep  culture  it  would  be  advisable  to  make  the  regular  plow- 


;*  6 


ing  more  shallow,  and  substitute  subsoiling  to  a  proportionate  depth, 
thus  not  turning  up  too  much  of  the  raw  soil.  In  the  arid  regions, 
however,  there  is  very  little  if  any  danger  of  turning  up  so  great  a 
depth  of  soil  that  the  plant-food  is  not  immediately  available,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  purpose  of  rendering  the  soil  more  receptive  of  the 
winter  moisture  there  would  not  be  so  urgent  necessity  of  fall  plowing. 
If  beets  are  put  upon  land  which  has  been  previously  planted  to 
alfalfa,  a  similar  treatment  to  that  under  grain  cultivation  should  be 
given,  and  in  addition  the  land  should  be  well  harrowed  after  the 
shallow  plowing,  to  bring  all  roots  to  the  surface,  that  they  may  be 
raked  into  piles  and  destroyed.  The  spring  treatment  should  be  as  in 
the  other  cases,  except  that  planting  should  be  rather  late  so  that  the 
tender  plants  may  not  become  choked  by  the  alfalfa. 

SPRING     WORK. 

In  case  plowing  has  not  been  done  in  the  fall,  it  should  be  done  as 
early  in  the  spring  as  the  ground  will  do  to  handle,  for  three  reasons : 
(1st)  Because  the  sooner  the  weeds  are  encouraged  to  grow  the  more 
of  them  can  be  killed  before  planting  the  beets;  (2d)  Because  land 
plowed  while  the  weather  is  cool  will  retain  moisture  much  more  than 
if  plowed  during  warm  weather;  (3d)  Because  it  is  much  better  to 
allow  ground  to  settle  as  much  as  possible  after  plowing  and  before 
the  preparation  of  the  seed-bed,  thus  insuring  a  better  and  quicker 
germination  of  the  seed.  After  the  spring  plowing,  immediately  har- 
row, or  still  better,  float  or  drag  once  and  leave  the  ground  as  it  is 
until  the  time  to  prepare  the  seed-bed,  thus  allowing  the  weeds  to 
sprout.  Land  that  has  been  plowed  in  the  fall  should  be  harrowed  as 
early  in  the  spring  as  possible,  and  then  be  treated  as  hereinafter 
described.  It  is  a  very  good  practice  to  harrow  the  land  deeply  and 
crosswise  before  spring  plowing,  so  as  to  turn  under  a  fine,  loose  soil 
instead  of  a  hard,  lumpy  surface,  as  the  land  will  settle  more  rapidly 
and  uniformly.  If  irrigation  is  to  be  practiced  this*  is  particularly  to 
be  recommended,  as  it  will  irrigate  more  uniformly  than  when  full  of 
holes  and  air  spaces  near  the  plow  furrow. 

If  beets  are  to  follow  corn  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  remove  the 
stalks  from  the  field  to  permit  of  profitable  drilling  and  horse  cultiva- 
tion. The  stalks  can  not  be  successfully  plowed  under,  as  the  culti- 
vator knives  bring  them  again  to  the  surface  and  they  tear  out  a  large 
number  of  beet  plants;  and  further,  they  materially  interfere  with 
even  seeding.  The  best  way  for  cleaning  the  field  from  the  stalks  is 
to  remove  the  mold  board  from  the  plow.  This  will  loosen  the  roots 
without  turning  the  corn  stalks  under.  Then  with  a  hay-rake  gather 
them  into  piles,  and  after  burning  as  many  as  possible,  haul  off  the 


—  8  — 

remainder.     The  same  work  will  be  found  necessary  where  sorghum 
has  been  grown. 

//  beets  follow  grain  the  stubble  should  be  plowed  shallow— say  four 
inches— immediately  after  harvest,  for  by  this  treatment  the  land  will 
be  prevented  from  baking  and  the  weeds  will  be  encouraged  to  grow,  a 
large  part  of  which  may  then  be  destroyed  by  a  later  and  deeper  plow- 
ing the  same  fall.  A  deep  plowing  at  first  would  prevent  their  germina,- 
tion  until  they  should  be  brought  near  the  surface  by  the  spring 
working  of  the  soil,  when  they  would  germinate  and  seriously  interfere 
with  the  crop  and  increase  the  cost  of  production.  If  the  crop  is  to  be 
grown  upon  a  considerable  scale  the  use  of  a  gang-plow  is  to  be  recom- 
mended, as  it  both  decreases  the  cost  of  preparing  the  land  and  hastens 
the  work.  Although  not  commonly  done,  the  writer  believes  that 
immediately  following  this  shallow  plowing,  particularly  if  the  land  is- 
known  to  be  foul,  it  is  desirable  to  harrow  and  roll,  or  drag,  the  land. 

If  stable  manure  is  to  be  used  it  should  be  applied  soon  after  the 
shallow  plowing,  spreading  it  evenly  over  the  land  that  it  may  be 
turned  under  in  the  deeper  plowing  in  the  same  fall.  For  good  plow- 
ing, do  not  attempt  to  turn  too  wide  a  furrow;  a  narrow  furrow  not 
only  mellows  more  readily,  but  absorbs  moisture  more  rapidly  and 
is  more  rapidly  turned. 

If  beets  follow  potatoes,  or  beets,  or  if  the  land  is  known  to  be  free 
of  weeds,  the  shallow  plowing  may  be  omitted,  but  in  no  case  must  the 
deeper  plowing  be  neglected. 

In  case  irrigation  is  to  be  practiced  some  special  preparation  of  the 
field  must  be  given  attention.  First  of  all,  in  plowing  the  land  as  few 
dead  furrows  as  possible  should  be  left  in  the  field  after  the  work  is 
completed,  as  they  interfere  very  much  with  the  cultivation  and  irriga- 
tion of  the  land.  Plowing  around,  which  means  starting  at  the  edge 
of  the  field  and  plowing  in  circles  toward  the  center  of  the  field,  should 
also  be  avoided,  as  it  is  not  favorable  for  irrigation,  since  the  land  lies 
in  two  different  directions,  which  interferes  with  the  flow  of  the  water. 

Further,  successful  irrigation  of  a  beet  field  can  not  be  accomplished 
without  a  thorough  grading— "leveling"— of  its  surface.  To  achieve 
this,  there  must  be  a  fine  surface,  which  should  be  prepared  by  har- 
rowing and  floating  (dragging)  the  land  repeatedly,  crosswise  and 
lengthwise.  As  soon  as  the  surface  is  fine  enough  to  be  easily  moved,  a 
leveler  should  be  used  which  shall  drag  the  soil  from  the  high  places 
and  drop  it  in  the  lower  ones.  The  machine  is  a  simple  one  and  can 
easily  be  constructed  by  any  one.     (See  description,  page  19). 

Where  the  retaining  of  winter  moisture  in  the  soil  is  of  great 
importance,  which  is  the  case  in  all  regions  where  it  is  hoped  to  sprout 
the  seed  without  irrigation  in  the  spring,  the  first  work  of  spring 
should  be  the  dragging  of  the  land.     From  the  settling  of  the  soil  dur- 


ZS* 


—  9  — 


ing  winter  the  capillary  tubes  have  reached  a  high  stage  of  develop- 
ment, and  as  soon  as  the  surface  of  the  soil  becomes  somewhat  dry, 
there  is  continuous  evaporation  of  the  soil  moisture  through  these 
tubes,  causing  an  enormous  loss  of  moisture.  High  ridges  are  partic- 
ularly exposed  to  the  action  of  the  sun  and  wind,  and  dry  out  very 
quickly.  When  seed  is  embedded  in  these  drier  places  it  germinates 
much  slower  than  in  the  more  moist  portions  of  the  field,  and  causes 
an  uneven  stand,  which  proves  very  detrimental  to  the  crop,  for  these 
later  plants  never  reach  the  stage  of  development  of  the  earlier  ones. 
Dragging  more  effectually  remedies  this  trouble  than  does  harrowing, 
and  results  in  a  great  saving  of  moisture.  Such  treatment,  however, 
should  not  be  given  to  the  heavier  clay  soils.  The  land  should  now 
remain  undisturbed  for  a  time  for  the  clods  to  absorb  moisture  and 
become  somewhat  softened,  and  to  encourage  all  the  weeds  possible  to 
make  a  start. 

IRRIGATION    OF    BEETS. 

For  the  successful  irrigation  of  the  sugar-beet  crop  there  are  some 
fundamental  characteristics  of  the  plant  that  must  be  considered,  for 
by  the  wrong  use  of  water  it  is  a  very  easy  matter  to  absolutely  ruin  a 
beet  crop.  On  the  other  hand,  water  applied  at  the  right  time  in  the 
life  history  of  the  plant  will  absolutely  insure  a  large  and  profitable 
crop.  The  experience  in  this  country  demonstrated  the  entire  feasi- 
bility of  successfully  producing  the  crop  by  the  artificial  application 
of  water  on  a  large  scale.  In  respect  to  moisture,  the  sugar  beet  is 
peculiar  in  some  respects,  viz.,  in  that  it  will  get  along  with  less  of  it, 
and  will  stand  more  of  it,  than  most  of  the  other  field  crops.  This 
statement  needs  some  explanation,  however,  for  while  technically  true 
it  is  also  true  that  the  crop  may  be  entirely  ruined  by  a  too  liberal 
application  of  water,  or  by  its  application  at  the  wrong  time  in  the  life 
of  the  plant.  There  are  three  periods  in  the  life  history  of  the  sugar 
beet  which  demand  entirely  different  treatments  so  far  as  moisture  is 
concerned : 

(1st)  The  germinating  or  plantlet  period,  embracing  the  time  from 
planting  until  the  plant  has  four  leaves. 

(2d)  The  growing  period,  in  which  the  form  and  size  of  the  plant  is 
developed. 

(3d)  The  sugar-storing  period,  in  which  the  sugar  is  elaborated 
from  the  air. 

In  the  first  period  the  necessary  condition  is  that  the  beet  seed 
should  have  sufficient  moisture  and  warmth  to  germinate  and  start  it, 
but  never  an  excess. 

After  the  plant  has  developed  four  leaves,  for  two  months  or  so  it 
should  be  given  a  considerable  amount  of  moisture  in  order  that  it  may 


4 


—  10  — 

develop  in  size.  Yet  even  in  this  period  it  may  be  spoiled  in  form  by 
a  too  liberal  application  of  water. 

When  the  plant  is  young  its  natural  tendency  is  to  send  its  taproot 
deep  into  the  soil  to  procure  moisture,  and  this  is  the  time  that  the 
form  of  the  beet  is  set.  If  water  at  the  surface  is  given  too  soon  and 
too  lavishly  at  the  beginning  of  this  period,  the  form  of  the  root  is 
ruined,  for  the  plant  will  have  a  too  strong  tendency  to  rely  upon  the 
artificial  surface  moisture  rather  than  to  seek  the  natural  moisture  of 
the  soil  below,  becoming  thus  a  short,  stubby  or  sprangling  beet,  alto- 
gether undesirable.  The  beet  may  show  a  tendency  to  droop  its  leaves 
and  become  lighter  in  color,  but  this  does  not  indicate  that  irrigation 
is  needed.  In  the  early  stages  of  the  plant,  irrigation  must  not  be 
resorted  to  until  there  is  an  absolute  demand  for  it.  Wilting  of  the 
leaves  in  the  heat  of  day  does  not  indicate  the  need  of  water.  If  the 
leaves  recover  their  vigor  in  the  evening  it  is  sufficient  evidence  that 
its  wants  in  this  direction  are  supplied.  When  it  really  needs  water 
the  leaves  will  droop  and  become  darker  in  color,  and  will  not  recover 
their  vigor  in  the  evening. 

Having  attained  the  size  desirable,  the  beet  needs  little  if  any 
moisture.  The  rapid  sugar-storing  begins  about  a  hundred  days  after 
planting,  and  when  maturity  approaches  the  plant  should  be  given  no 
water.  The  conditions  desirable  at  this  period  are  plenty  of  light  and 
dry  cool  weather.  If  the  beet  is  given  moisture  to  any  considerable 
extent,  it  will  be  at  the  expense  of  both  sugar  and  purity.  With  these 
principles  in  mind,  the  following  directions  as  to  irrigation  practice  in 
beet  growing  are  given: 

IRRIGATION  PRIOR  TO  PLANTING    ( SPRING-PLOWED  LAND)  . 

Heavy  soils  should  be  well  harrowed  before  plowing,  then  plowed 
from  nine  to  twelve  inches  deep,  and  harrowed  immediately  again 
after  plowing.  If  the  land  does  not  contain  sufficient  moisture  (which 
it  will  only  in  case  of  heavy  spring  rains)  to  germinate  the  seed  and  to 
keep  the  beets  growing  for  four  to  six  weeks,  the  land  must  be  irrigated 
before  seeding.  To  accomplish  this,  the  land  must  be  harrowed  and 
well  leveled.  After  the  land  is  level,  shallow  furrows  three  to  four 
inches  deep  should  be  made  by  using  the  cultivator  and  the  irrigating 
shovels,  or  better,  by  the  application  of  the  so-called  furrower.  (See 
description,  page  19.)  This  implement  leaves  a  furrow  every  eighteen 
inches,  and  the  bottom  of  the  furrow  is  left  very  smooth  so  that  no 
difficulty  will  be  found  in  letting  the  water  run  over  the  land  and 
irrigate  the  soil  by  sub-irrigation.  A  heavy  soil  should  be  plowed 
and  irrigated  as  early  in  the  spring  as  possible  and  the  water  is  avail- 
able. 


—  11  — 

Light  soils  can  be  irrigated  before  plowing,  pains  being  taken  to 
harrow  and  smooth  the  surface  as  much  as  possible  before  the  irriga- 
tion. Each  day's  plowing  should  be  well  harrowed  the  same  day  so 
as  to  keep  all  the  moisture  possible  in  the  land.  To  secure  a  good  crop 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  kill  all  the  weeds  in  the  ground  before 
seeding.  Here  is  where  most  failures  occur,  and  if  weeds  are  allowed 
to  get  a  start,  the  cultivation  of  the  crop  will  involve  much  unnecessary 
and  expensive  hand  work.  Therefore,  to  prepare  a  good  seed-bed,  we 
advise  working  the  soil  from  four  to  five  inches  deep  with  a  pulverizer, 
or  better  with  a  corn  cultivator,  once  lengthwise  and  once  crosswise, 
making  sure  not  to  miss  any  spot  in  the  field,  as  it  is  necessary  to 
loosen  any  weeds  that  may  have  already  sprouted.  Then  harrow 
lengthwise  and  crosswise  to  level  the  soil  perfectly  and  finish  killing 
the  weeds.  After  this,  pack  the  top  soil  (two  or  three  inches)  well 
with  a  roller.  Never  use  a  plank  float,  as  floated  ground  is  never  well 
packed  and  this  procedure  will,  besides,  increase  blowing  and  wash- 
ing. The  better  the  soil  is  packed  after  the  weeds  are  hilled  the  better 
the  beet  seed  will  sprout.  All  the  above  work  must  be  performed  at  a 
time  when  the  ground  is  in  good  condition  (that  is,  not  too  damp,  as 
the  working  of  wet  soil  must  be  strictly  avoided).  As  beet  seed 
requires  considerable  moisture  to  germinate,  it  would  also  be  a  great 
loss  to  the  beet-grower  to  allow  the  soil  to  dry  out  during  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  seed-bed ;  therefore,  in  dry  weather  or  in  an  average  season 
the  field  must  be  prepared  and  seeded  the  same  day,  this  being  the 
only  way  in  which  moisture  can  be  kept  in  the  ground — a  great  feature 
in  crop  raising  and  especially  in  beet  culture. 

When  the  seed-bed  has  been  properly  prepared  the  condition  of  the 
soil  must  be  similar  to  that  of  a  garden  bed.  It  is  a  very  costly  error 
to  attempt  to  save  labor  on  the  preparation  of  a  seed-bed.  It  can  be 
made  perfect  if  the  ground  is  worked  in  the  right  manner  and  at  the 
proper  time.  In  addition  to  not  working  the  soil  when  too  wet,  the 
different  operations  should  follow  each  other  rapidly  in  order  to  lose 
as  little  moisture  as  possible.  When  prepared,  the  ground  should  be 
fine  and  solid  for  two  or  three  inches  from  the  surface,  and  below  this 
should  be  a  layer  of  medium  loose  soil.  The.  seed-bed  should  not  be 
rolled  before  planting.  It  is  always  advisable  to  harrow  the  seed-bed 
with  a  very  light  harrow  immediately  ahead  of  the  seeder,  running  the 
harrow  in  the  opposite  direction  to  the  drill  rows. 

FALL  PLOWED  LAND. 

If  the  land  has  been  plowed  in  the  fall,  it  should  be  harrowed,  leveled, 
and  furrowed,  and  then  the  water  allowed  to  run  down  slowly  in  these 
furrows  so  as  to  soak  the  ground  thoroughly. 

After  spring  irrigation,  of  spring  plowing,  as  well  as  of  fall  plow- 


—  12  — 

ing,  as  soon  as  the  soil  is  dry  enough  to  permit  going  on  with  a  team, 
the  field  should  be  harrowed  and  cultivated  with  a  long-tooth  harrow  or 
cultivator,  down  to  seven  or  eight  inches  so  as  to  stir  the  soil  which 
has  become  packed  by  the  water,  and  then  the  work  of  preparing  the 
seed-bed  can  be  continued.     (See  preparation  of  seed-bed.) 

Experience  has  shown  that  the  seed  should  never  be  "irrigated  up" 
if  it  is  possible  to  avoid  it,  and  in  consequence  of  continuous  failures  in 
securing  a  good  stand  in  this  way,  this  means  of  germinating  the  seed 
has  been  entirely  abandoned.  Should,  however,  the  land  become  dry 
because  of  hot  winds  before  the  seed  has  germinated,  the  cultivators 
are  taken  with  the  irrigating  shovels,  the  furrows  made  between  the 
drill  rows  which  are  marked  by  the  tracks  of  the  press  wheels  of  the 
beet  drills,  and  the  water  allowed  to  run  down  each  row  slowly  and 
carefully ;  flooding  the  land  will  form  a  crust  as  soon  as  the  water  runs 
over  the  seed  row,  and  then  the  stand  is  sure  to  be  poor ;  but,  as  stated 
above,  the  ''irrigating  up"  of  the  seed  should  be  practiced  only  in  case 
of  absolute  necessity. 

THE    SEEDING. 

The  most  important  points  to  be  observed  in  the  seeding  of  sugar 
beets  are:  (1)  The  time  to  seed;  (2)  The  quantity  of  seed  to  be 
used;  (3)   The  distance  apart  of  rows;  (4)   The  depth  of  planting. 

As  to  the  first  point  no  definite  rule  can  be  laid  down,  but  the  general 
rule  to  be  followed  is  to  plant  as  early  as  the  climatic  conditions  allow. 
It  is  a  great  mistake  to  wait  until  ver}^  late  before  planting  a  beet 
crop,  and  especially  is  this  so  in  the  arid  regions,  and  upon  soils 
inclined  to  be  alkali  in  character.  Delay  under  these  two  conditions 
often  means  a  loss  of  the  crop.  Too  great  haste  should  not  be  made 
by  putting  the  seed  into  the  ground  before  the  ground  is  sufficiently 
warm  to  germinate  the  seed  rapidly.  Seeds  require  warmth  as  well  as 
moisture  to  cause  germination.  Most  agricultural  seeds  will  wait  for 
moisture  or  warmth  some  time,  but  the  beet  germ  is  very  delicate,  and 
if  not  given  the  correct  conditions  for  germination  soon  after  being 
placed  in  the  soil,  will  either  dry  out  or  rot,  as  the  case  may  be.  It  is 
a  good  practice,  if  a  considerable  acreage  is  to  be  seeded,  to  do  this 
work  in  tracts  instead  of  all  at  the  same  time,  in  order  that  the  subse- 
quent working  of  the  crop  may  be  facilitated,  especially  at  thinning 
time.  Further,  it  gives  consecutively  maturing  tracts,  which  will 
facilitate  harvesting  and  will  better  serve  the  purpose  of  the  factory. 

The  quantity  of  seed  to  be  used  is  a  point  of  vital  importance  to  the 
grower.  To  secure  a  good  yield  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have  a 
good  stand,  and  every  attempt  should  be  made  to  secure  such  a  stand. 
A  mistake  is  often  made  by  cutting  down  the  amount  of  seed  in  order 
to  save  a  few  ceuts  and  thereby  losing  dollars  in  the  resulting  crop. 


—  13  — 

If  plenty  of  seed  is  put  in  the  ground  it  is  almost  certain  that  a  good 
stand  will  be  secured.  Not  less  than  20  pounds  per  acre  should  be 
used  in  order  to  secure  a  good  stand  under  all  conditions,  because, 
should  the  weather  be  dry,  the  best  seed  will  come  up  first  and  there 
will  be  enough  for  a  good  stand.  On  the  other  hand,  should  a  crust 
be  formed  on  the  field  after  a  heavy  rain,  one  plant  will  help  the 
other  to  break  through  the  ground.  Therefore,  at  least  twenty  pounds 
to  the  acre  should  be  sown. 

Special  drills  are  used  for  seeding  sugar  beets.  Such  drills  dropping 
seed  continuously  in  rows  will  plant  from  ten  to  twelve  acres  per  day. 
In  arid  regions  it  often  happens  that  conditions  are  such  that  the  seed 
has  to  be  "irrigated  up,"  although  it  is  far  preferable  to  have  it 
germinate  in  the  natural  soil  moisture  if  possible.     If,  however,  as  a 


«, 


Fig.  2.    Seeding  Sugar  Beets. 

last  resort  it  is  found  that  irrigation-water  must  be  used  to  make  certain 
of  a  good  stand,  the  following  treatment  is  recommended  as  giving 
good  results:  The  land,  leveled  or  graded  as  above  indicated,  should 
be  furrowed  about  three  or  four  inches  deep  and  water  allowed  to  run 
in  each  furrow  to  moisten  the  ground  to  the  surface,  being  very  careful 
not  to  flood  the  ground.  As  soon  as  the  ground  is  sufficiently  dry, 
harrow  crosswise,  pulverizing  the  soil.  The  land  should  then  be  planted 
just  as  soon  as  it  is  dry  enough  to  work  clean.  The  drill  should 
never  be  run  when  the  soil  is  wet  enough  to  roll  up  on  the  wheels. 

The  third  point,  the  distance  apart  of  rows,  is  entirely  dependent 
upon  the  quality  and  the  moisture  conditions.  Where  the  land  is 
very  rich  and  no  irrigation  is  to  be  practiced  and  moisture  conditions 
are  good,  16  to  18  inches  is  advisable,  leaving  the  plants  6  to  8  inches 
apart  in  the  row.     Where  irrigation  is  to  be  practiced  it  is  advisable 


—  14  — 

to  widen  the  rows  to  18  or  20  inches,  depending  upon  the  soil.  The 
heavier  the  soil  the  closer  should  be  the  planting  in  general.  This 
matter  of  the  distance  apart  of  the  rows  is  of  more  than  passing 
importance,  as  it  is  closely  related  to  the  later  development  of  the 
beet.  In  this  connection  the  following  points  are  to  be  considered: 
(1)  The  farther  apart  the  beets  are  planted  the  larger  the  roots  will 
grow;  (2)  The  development  of  top  as  compared  with  root  is  increased 
with  increase  of  space ;  (3)  The  yield  is  smaller  when  planted  either  too 
close  or  too  far  apart;  (4)  Beets  grown  in  close  rows,  and  close 
together  in  the  row,  generally  carry  higher  sugar-content  and  purity 
than  when  the  space  is  wider,  which  is  of  vital  importance  to  the 
factory;  (5)  Moisture  is  conserved  to  better  advantage  by  close 
planting. 

Where  possible,  the  distance  from  beet  to  beet  should  be  close  to  18 
by  8  inches,  thus  allowing  each  beet  a  total  or  144  square  inches,  which 
experience  has  shown  to  give  the  best  average  results.  This  space  will 
give  a  medium-weight  beet  under  most  conditions. 

For  example :  At  18  inches  between  rows  and  8  inches  apart  in  the 
row,  there  will  be  18X8=144  square  inches  for  each  plant.  One  square 
yard  equals  1,296  square  inches,  or  1296-^-144=9  beets.  If  we  deduct 
one-third  for  faulty  seed,  plants  destroyed,  etc.,  we  will  have  at  harvest 
6  beets  for  each  square  yard. 

One  acre  contains  4,840  square  yards. 

6  beets  per  yard,  at  1      lb.  equals    6  lbs. 

6    "       "       "     "   iy2lbs.  "         9    " 

6    "       "       "     "   2      lbs.  "       12    " 
Therefore,  per  acre : 

6  lbs.  per  yard  equals  14!/2  tons. 

9  "  "  "  "  213/4  " 
12  "  "  "  "  29 
The  depth  of  planting  should  in  no  case  exceed  two  inches,  and  under 
average  moisture  conditions  one  half  this  depth  is  ample.  If  the  seed 
is  buried  too  deeply  there  is  much  danger  that  in  case  of  a  rain  soon 
after  planting,  the  ground  will  crust  and  the  young  plant  never  come 
to  light,  or  that  the  seed,  especially  if  the  weather  should  be  somewhat 
cold,  would  decay  in  the  ground.  Plants  from  very  deeply  planted 
seed  are  never  as  strong  as  those  that  have  come  to  the  surface  more 
rapidly.  On  the  other  hand,  if  too  shallow  planting  is  practiced,  the 
thin  layer  of  soil  surrounding  the  seed  or  sprouts  quickly  dries  out, 
causing  the  tender  plants  to  die  on  account  of  the  lack  of  moisture. 
To  retain  this  moisture  is  the  reason  for  pressing  the  soil  closely  around 
this  seed.  Generally  speaking,  the  heavier  the  soil  and  the  earlier  the 
planting,  the  shallower  must  be  the  sowing  in  order  to  prevent  the 
seed  from  rotting  in  the  ground. 


—  15  — 

THE    CULTIVATION. 

Three  things  must  be  kept  in  view  in  the  cultivation  of  beets: 
(1)  The  beets  must  be  kept  absolutely  free  from  weeds,  so  that  the 
beneficial  action  of  the  sun  may  be  fully  realized;  (2)  The  ground 
must  be  kept  loose  for  the  same  purpose;  (3)  In  case  of  hot  weather 
the  ground  should  be  kept  thoroughly  stirred  to  make  a  fine  dust  mulch 
to  retain  moisture,  which  latter  practice  is  far  preferable  in  irrigated 
regions,  to  the  more  frequent  use  of  water.  Ground  may  be  kept 
moist  by  thorough  cultivation. 

Cultivation  is  performed  with  one-horse  cultivators,  which  work  two 
rows  at  a  time.  If,  after  sowing,  a  heavy  rain  should  cause  a  crust  to 
form  on  the  field,  the  light  harrow  is  recommended;  but  this  is  only  in 
case  the  seed  has  not  germinated,  as  otherwise  it  would  be  better  to 
run  the  cultivator  over  the  field,  following  the  rows,  which  can  be 
done  easily  before  the  seed  is  up,  as  the  marks  of  the  press-wheels  can 
be  plainly  distinguished. 

The  spiders  are  especially  adapted  to  break  the  crust  without  injur- 
ing the  beets,  as  one  can  cultivate  closer  to  the  beet  rows  with  them 
than  with  the  knives,  and  without  danger  of  lifting  the  young  plants 
out  of  the  ground  with  the  broken  crust.  Quite  frequently  the  crust 
can  be  broken  by  a  medium  heavy  roller,  especially  on  alkali  land  and 
when  not  too  thick.  This  is  preferable  to  the  work  with  the  knives, 
as  no  earth  is  removed  from  its  place  at  all.  The  cultivator  must  be 
applied  afterwards. 

As  soon  as  the  beets  break  through  the  ground  and  the  rows  can  be 
followed,  the  cultivation  must  begin,  the  earlier  the  better,  not  only  to 
destroy  the  weeds  but  to  loosen  the  soil,  which  permits  the  air  to  pen- 
etrate, thus  forcing  the  growth  of  the  beet  and  improving  its  quality. 
It  is  very  important  to  kill  the  weeds  before  they  get  above  the  ground, 
or  at  least  before  they  become  well  rooted.  This  can  easily  be  accom- 
plished by  cultivating  the  field  with  the  flat  shovels  every  eight  or  ten 
days,  care  being  taken  to  set  the  knives  as  close  as  possible  to  the  rows, 
and  never  over  two  inches  from  the  rows  as  long  as  the  beets  are  small. 
As  the  beets  grow  older,  however,  the  shovels  should  be  run  gradually 
farther  away  from  the  beets,  and  also  deeper  until  the  leaves  meet  in 
the  center  of  the  rows,  by  which  time  the  cultivation  should  have 
reached  a  depth  of  six  inches  and  should  then  cease  as  the  beets  are 
ready  to  "lay  by."  Besides  destroying  the  weeds,  this  repeated  culti- 
vation prevents  evaporation  from  the  deeper  soil  and  secures  a  good 
and  healthy  growth. 

As  soon  as  the  beets  are  coming  up  and  the  rows  are  visible,  they 
should  be  rolled  with  a  light  roller  so  as  to  pack  the  soil  lightly  around 
the  side  roots  of  the  young  plants  and  thus  facilitate  the  access  of 


—  16  — 

moisture  thereto,  which  will  materially  help  in  forming  a  strong  root. 
The  rolling  should  be  immediately  followed  by  a  horse  cultivator,  so 
that  there  is  no  possibility  of  blowing  of  the  land  in  case  of  wind, 
which  will  always  happen  if  the  cultivation  is  omitted.  Then  follows 
the  work  of  cultivation  as  described  above. 

THINNING    OUT. 

Great  pains  should  be  taken  in  performing  this  part  of  the  work,  as 
it  is  the  most  important  of  all  the  cultivation  and  care  of  the  crop.  It 
is  very  necessary  that  this  should  be  done  just  at  the  right  time,  and  the 
earlier  it  is  done  the  better  for  the  growth  and  yield  of  the  crop.  As 
soon  as  most  of  the  beets  have  formed  four  leaves,  thinning  should  be 
commenced  at  once,  for  it  is  a  wrong  idea  to  wait  until  all  of  the  plants 
show  four  leaves,  as  quite  frequently  they  grow  too  large  before  the 
entire  field  is  finished.  In  fact,  they  should  not  remain  longer  than 
one  week  without  being  thinned  after  having  produced  four  leaves,  as 
the  roots  will  entwine  around  each  other,  if  left  longer,  and  make  the 
thinning  detrimental  to  the  plant  that  is  left. 

The  thinning  must  be  preceded  by  the  spacing  with  the  hoe,  as  this 
proceeding  materially  simplifies  and  cheapens  the  thinning  and  brings 
the  plants  at  an  even  distance  apart.  To  perform  this  work  the  beets 
should  be  bunched  (directly  after  a  horse  cultivation)  with  an 
ordinary  five-inch  hoe,  cutting  five  inches  of  beets  out  and  leaving  a 
two-inch  bunch  containing  from  three  to  six  beets.  After  the  beets 
are  bunched,  the  healthiest  plant  in  each  bunch  is  selected  by  the 
thinner  to  be  left  standing,  the  others  being  pulled  out  by  hand, 
together  with  all  the  weeds  near  by,  care  being  taken  to  pull  out  every 
plant  with  the  roots,  as  they  will  grow  again  if  only  the  leaves  are 
removed.  The  beets  should  never  be  left  closer  than  six  inches,  and  in 
most  cases  from  seven  to  eight  inches  is  preferable.  There  has  been 
a  great  fear  that  beets  would  grow  too  large,  but  the  writer's  observa- 
tion has  been  that  they  are  decidedly  more  likely  to  be  too  small  for 
profitable  culture.  Excessive  distances,  however,  should  be  avoided, 
as  there  is  a  tendency  for  the  sugar-content  and  purity  to  decrease 
under  such  conditions.  The  ground  should  be  pushed  up  around  the 
plant  by  the  thinner,  but  not  packed.  It  is  advisable  for  the  thinner 
to  follow  close  behind  the  spacer,  as  the  soil  is  then  fresh  and  loose 
around  the  bunches,  and  the  thinning  can  then  be  performed  much 
more  expeditiously  than  after  it  has  dried  out.  Further,  the  remain- 
ing plant  is  but  once  disturbed  by  such  practice  and  consequently 
recovers  from  the  shock  quicker. 

After  thinning,  the  beets  will  have  a  wilted  appearance.  If  they  do 
not  revive  and  show  growth  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two,  they  should 


-  17  - 

be  rolled,  which  will  pack  the  ground  around  the  roots  and  cause  them 
to  grow. 

An  average  person  should  thin  one  third  of  an  acre  per  day,  though 
three  fourths  of  an  acre  is  not  an  uncommon  work.  It  can  be  done 
cheapest  when  the  stand  is  good. 

HOEING. 

The  first  hoeing,  which  is  very  important  for  the  growth  of  the 
small  plants,  should  be  given  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  beets  break 
through  the  ground,  or  at  the  latest,  at  the  time  of  thinning. 

As  the  ground  will  have  become  packed  during  the  operation  of 
bunching  and  thinning,  thus  preventing  proper  circulation  of  air,  and 
the  young  plants,  moreover,  will  have  become  weakened  by  the  dis- 
turbance, and  for  the  further  reason  that  it  is  cheaper  to  do  it  then, 
the  second  hoeing  should  be  given  with  a  five-inch  hoe  a  few  days  after 
the  beets  are  thinned  and  never  later  than  a  week  after,  care  being 
taken  to  kill  the  weeds  close  to  the  plant,  but  in  such  a  manner  as  not 
to  loosen  or  injure  the  beets.  As  the  cultivator  only  loosens  and  clears 
the  ground  between  the  rows,  the  hoe  must  perform  this  work.  This 
hoeing  should  be  three  inches  deep. 

A  similar  hoeing  may  be  necessary  once  more  when  the  land  is  very 
foul  and  weedy  so  as  to  kill  the  weeds  between  and  around  the  plants, 
but  generally  speaking  two  hand  hoeings  should  suffice,  providing  the 
horse  cultivation  is  kept  up  well.  Each  hand  hoeing  should,  however, 
exceed  the  previous  one  in  depth,  but  without  injuring  or  loosening 
the  plant.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  no  work  should  be  necessary 
in  the  field  after  eighty  or  ninety  days  from  the  time  of  planting, 
except  the  final  and  deepest  horse  cultivation  and  the  irrigation  of  the 
crop.  A  forced  later  growth  until  the  fall  rains  set  in  should  be 
studiously  avoided,  as  such  growth  is  certain  to  result  in  a  decreased 
sugar-content.  Consequently,  in  irrigated  regions  water  should  not 
be  applied  too  late  in  the  season.  It  should  not  be  applied  within 
twenty  or  thirty  days  of  the  harvest,  as  it  will  take  that  length  of  time 
to  fully  develop  the  sugar-content. 

IRRIGATION  OF  THE  CROP. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  the  irrigation  before  planting  should 
suffice  to  keep  the  beets  growing  until  after  they  are  thinned,  and  the 
first  irrigation  of  the  crop  should  be  delayed  as  long  as  possible,  even 
if  the  young  plants  should  suffer  slightly,  as  they  will  then  form  a 
good  long  tap-root  in  their  search  for  moisture  in  the  subsoil,  while  if 
watered  too  early,  a  net  of  fine  side  roots  will  grow  and  the  opportunity 


—  18  — 

for  the  formation  of  the  tap-root,  which  is  of  such  great  importance 
for  the  further  growth  of  the  beets,  is  lost.  As  soon  as  the  young 
plants  show  the  need  of  water  the  furrows  are  scraped  out  with  the 
shovels  attached  to  the  cultivators  and  the  field  is  carefully  irrigated, 
running  the  water  this  first  time  only  in  every  second  row,  pains  being- 
taken  not  to  flood  the  land,  but  giving  it  a  thorough  sub-irrigation, 
thus  encouraging  the  downward  growth  of  the  roots.  This  careful 
irrigation  will  have  to  be  repeated  during  the  season  once  or  twice 
more,  running  the  water  in  every  row  between  the  beets;  but  after  the 
third  irrigation  less  danger  is  connected  with  the  water  passing  over 
the  rows  and  coming  in  direct  touch  with  the  beets. 

After  each  irrigation  the  furrows  should  be  stirred  with  the  calf 
tongues  so  as  to  loosen  the  soil  which  has  been  packed  by  the  water, 
and  then  the  cultivator  should  be  used  freely  with  duck  feet  and 
knives  as  long  as  the  leaves  of  the  plants  are  not  too  large  to  interfere 
with  the  latter.  Prior  to  every  irrigation  the  furrows  should  be 
opened  up  with  the  cultivator,  and  after  the  last  cultivation  the  fur- 
rows must  be  scraped  out  once  more  for  the  purpose  of  later  irriga- 
tion. This  work  must  be  finished  before  the  leaves  are  becoming  too 
large,  so  that  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  the  shovels  to  pass  between 
the  rows  without  injuring  the  tops  of  the  plants. 

As  to  the  number  of  irrigations  which  are  required  to  mature  a  beet 
crop,  no  definite  answer  can  be  given,  as  this  will  depend  entirely 
upon  the  quality  of  the  soil,  slope  of  the  land,  subsoil,  location  of  the 
field,  and  the  amount  of  spring  and  summer  rain,  as  well  as  the  tem- 
perature of  the  atmosphere  during  the  growing  season.  It  is  well 
demonstrated  in  Utah  that  the  irrigating  furrows  should  not  exceed 
twenty  rods  in  length. 

After  the  first  irrigation  the  beet  requires  a  damp  soil,  and  therefore 
the  plants  should  never  suffer  for  want  of  moisture  thereafter. 
Should  the  soil  become  too  dry  through  neglect  to  water  the  crop  when 
it  calls  for  it,  the  growth  of  the  root  will  be  stopped  and  the  latter 
becomes  soft  and  spongy ;  and  if  irrigated  after  it  has  reached  this  stage 
of  drought  it  will  grow  anew,  and  this  second  growth  will  materially 
decrease  the  purity  and  sugar-content  of  the  beet.  Therefore,  the  land 
should  be  kept  damp,  and  not  allowed  to  dry  out  after  it  has  been  once 
irrigated ;  the  water  should  be  used  judiciously  so  as  not  to  soak  the 
soil  and  keep  it  too  wet,  and  cultivation  should  frequently  be  done  to 
keep  the  moisture  near  the  plant. 

As  to  when  to  stop  irrigating,  the  farmer  will  have  to  be  guided  by 
the  results  of  the  analysis  of  beets  from  his  field.  However,  as  soon 
as  the  beets  commence  to  turn  yellow  and  begin  to  ripen,  irrigation 
must  cease  at  once. 


-  19  — 

GENERAL. 

Description  of  the  Leveler.— The  leveler  consists  of  a  frame  7  feet 
wide  and  14  feet  long  for  two  horses,  or  10  feet  wide  and  16  feet  long 
for  three  or  four  horses.  The  front  and  rear  board  is  slanting  under 
an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees  towards  the  rear,  so  that  the  earth 
does  not  offer  too  great  a  resistance  when,  dragging  the  tool  over  the 
field.  In  the  middle  of  the  frame  a  vertical  board  is  fastened  so  that 
by  means  of  a  level  it  can  be  lifted  up  and  the  earth  be  dropped  wher- 
ever it  is  desired.  This  board  moves  in  a  slide  attached  to  the  two 
side  boards.  The  sides  of  the  leveler  are  usually  made  out  of  2  x  8 
inch  boards,  while  the  three  cross  boards  are  of  3  x  10  inch  lumber. 
To  the  rear  of  this  leveler  are  fastened  a  couple  of  handles,  so  that 
the  former  can  be  lifted  up  at  any  time  should  rubbish  accumulate 
inside  of  the  frame.  Each  farmer  can  adapt  the  size  of  the  tool  to  the 
working  power  of  his  horses. 

Description  of  the  Furrower.—Tlae  furrower  to  be  used  to  furrow 
the  land  for  irrigation  prior  to  planting  is  of  the  same  width  as  the 
beet  drill,  viz.,  5  feet,  the  four  runners  which  mark  the  furrows  being 
exactly  18  inches  apart,  counting  from  center  to  center  of  each  run- 
ner. The  frame  consists  of  two  timbers,  6x8  inches,  to  which  the 
four  runners  made  of  6  x  6  inch  lumber  are  bolted,  leaving  an  inside 
space  of  24  to  26  inches  between  the  two  square  timbers,  while  the 
space  between  the  runners,  as  said  above,  is  18  inches.  In  front  of 
these  runners,  just  in  the  center  of  each,  is  fastened  a  duck  foot,  which 
loosens  the  soil  ahead  of  the  runner  down  to  2  or  3  inches  and  at  the 
same  time  serves  as  an  anchorage  for  the  tool  to  the  ground.  This  tool 
is  very  simple  and  absolutely  necessary  to  secure  a  uniform  irrigation 
of  the  ground,  and  it  enables  a  farmer  to  distribute  his  water  easily 
and  evenly  over  the  entire  field.  The  distance  of  18  inches  between 
the  centers  of  the  runners  is  the  same  distance  as  that  of  the  runners 
of  the  beet  drill.  One  is  thereby  enabled  to  follow  later  on  with  the 
runners  of  the  seeder  exactly  in  the  middle  between  the  irrigation  fur- 
rows, thereby  planting  the  seed  in  moist  land  and  securing  a  rapid  and 
good  germination. 

HARVESTING   THE   CROP. 

Harvesting  should  be  postponed  to  as  late  a  date  as  possible,  pro- 
vided the  beets  are  in  no  danger  of  second  growth.  The  approach  of 
ripening  period  can  be  detected  by  a  change  in  the  color  of  the  leaves 
to  a  yellowish  green;  they  also  droop  and  become  closely  applied  to 
the  earth,  and  many  of  them  die.  Harvesting  is  done  by  means  of  a 
particular  kind  of  plow  with  a  thin  blade,  which  splits  the  soil  between 


—  20  - 

the  rows.  After  plowing,  the  beets  are  left  standing  quite  loosely  in 
the  ground  and  can  easily  be  pulled  out  by  the  hand  and  thrown  into 
piles  or  rows  for  topping,  first  shaking  off  the  adhering  dirt. 

The  next  operation  consists  of  removing  the  neck.  This  is  done  by 
means  of  a  large  beet  or  corn  knife,  by  which  the  top  of  the  beet,  or 
crown,  is  cut  off  so  as  to  remove  by  a  single  blow  the  top  and  that 


Fig.  3.    Showing  proper  manner  of  topping  a  beet. 

portion  of  the  beet  to  which  the  stems  of  the  leaves  have  grown.  The 
object  of  removing  this  portion  of  the  beet  is  to  prevent  the  mineral 
salts,  which  have  accumulated  to  a  considerable  quantity  in  the 
crown,  as  previously  pointed  out,  from  entering  the  factory.  The 
mineral  salts  exercise  a  very  bad  influence  on  the  crystallization  of  the 
sugar  during  the  process  of  extraction,  and  therefore  must  be  removed 
so  far  as  possible  in  the  field. 

The  evil  effect  of  shallow  plowing  becomes  very  evident  at  the  time 


-  21  - 

of  harvest  in  the  loss  of  weight  resulting  from  the  required  heavy 
topping  of  beets  that  have  been  forced  out  of  the  ground  by  reaching 
a  hard  under-soil  which  the  root  is  unable  to  penetrate.  Under  such 
conditions  the  root  lifts  itself  above  the  ground  and  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  heavily  top  the  beets. 

YIELD. 

As  is  often  the  case  when  the  attempt  is  made  to  introduce  the  indus- 
try into  a  new  locality,  very  extravagant  statements  are  made,  by 
interested  parties,  as  to  the  probable  yield.  The  statement  that  the 
yield  is  20  or  25  tons  per  acre  is  far  too  high,  as  experience  in  both 
Europe  and  America  have  abundantly  shown.  From  12  to  15  tons 
may  reasonably  be  expected,  and  with  such  a  tonnage  the  industry  is 
an  inviting  one  for  both  grower  and  manufacturer.  It  is  significant 
that  an  eleven-year  record  at  Watsonville,  California,  shows  an  average 
yield  for  the  period  of  10.84  tons  per  acre,  and  an  average  return  per 
acre  of  $49.98 ;  and  at  Alvarado,  California,  the  home  of  the  industry, 
the  average  for  the  past  twelve  years  has  been  9.7  tons  per  acre,  and 
these  include  the  four  very  dry  years.  Twenty  and  even  twenty-five 
tons  per  acre  are  possible  and  even  frequent  yields,  but  are  not  com- 
mon. It  is  unsafe  to  figure  on  a  yield,  under  general  field  condi- 
tions, of  more  than  12  tons  per  acre.  The  French  "Journal  of  Sugar 
Manufacture"  states  that  the  average  yield  of  beets  in  Germany  is  15 
tons  per  acre,  and  in  France  11.13  tons.  In  the  United  States,  in 
1901,  the  average  yield  for  the  entire  area  devoted  to  sugar  beets  was 
a  little  less  than  10  tons  per  acre,  which  forcibly  suggests  whether,  by 
the  proper  use  of  plant  food,  this  figure  could  not  be  materially  raised. 

MAXIMS  FOR  SUGAR-BEET   CULTURE. 

.  Plow  in  the  fall.  Prepare  fine  seed-bed.  Use  plenty  of  seed. 
Plant  shallow.  Thin  early.  Practice  flat  cultivation.  Keep  the  sur- 
face always  loose.  Hoe  and  cultivate  as  long  as  the  leaves  will  per- 
mit. The  sugar  comes  from  the  sun  and  air;  therefore,  keep  the  soil 
loose  so  the  sun  and  air  can  do  their  maximum  work,  and  the  result 
will  be  both  tonnage  and  sugar. 


